I'm surprised, but today's story turned out to be another general fiction. Bonus points if you can figure out the series alluded to in this one. I binge watched the whole thing while not feeling so well over the last week or so, and the idea to reference it was too funny to pass up, at least in my head.

​“Hey! No threatening the cat.”

“It scratched me!” Aiden whined.

“I told you Honey doesn’t like being woken up.” Michaela rolled her eyes. She set her bag down and headed toward the kitchen. “You’re the one who decided trying to pet a sleeping cat was a good idea.”

Aiden rubbed at the sore streaks across the back of his hand and looked over at the feline in question. Honey was a beautiful stripped tabby cat. He’d looked tiny and cute all curled up on the couch snoozing when they’d come in. He looked bigger now with his head lowered and ears pulled back.

Keeping an eye on the irate cat, Aiden followed Michaela into the kitchen. She poured a couple glasses of iced tea, and he could hear popcorn popping in the microwave as he went over to the sink to wash the scratches.

“Maybe we should meet at my house until we finish the project,” Aiden grumbled.

Michaela pulled a shallow bowl out of the cabinet before going to the fridge.

“Why?” she asked. “Because you can’t handle my cats?”

Michaela retrieved some cream from the fridge, poured a dollop into the bowl, and returned the rest. With that done, she looked back at him, expecting an answer. Aiden didn’t give her one, and she laughed. He was trying to scowl, but based on her reaction, he guessed it came off as more of a pout. Michaela picked up the shallow bowl and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she walked toward the side door to set it down.

Honey trotted into the kitchen. His tail twitched side to side in agitation. A huge, black cat followed close behind. Honey looked up at Michaela and mewed before devouring the cream she’d set out for him. The larger cat bumped his head against her leg, wound around it once, and then began eating from a larger bowl of kibble.

Michaela pulled the now finished popcorn from the microwave and dumped it into a big bowl. “Come on,” she said. “Bring the drinks, and let’s get to work.”

Aiden did as he was bid, anxious now just to get this over with and go home. He’d wanted to be Michaela’s partner for the science fair because she was top of their class, and he liked to win. He never figured on having to put up with grumpy pets.

The two got started designing their experiment without incident until the cats jumped up on the couch again. Aiden watched them, half expecting to be attacked again.

“Don’t worry,” Michaela laughed. “You just have to treat them right.”

The bigger cat perched on top of the sofa and watched Honey climb into Michaela’s lap. The tabby started batting at a strand of hair that’d fallen over her shoulder. Michaela smiled and scratched the cat behind its ears.

“Make sure to always have his favorite treats, and never, ever wake Honey from a nap, and he’s just like a kitten.”

Each story in this series is 500 words or less and is prompted by a first line taken either from a random first line generator like this one or reader suggestions like "Don't Forget Me." I much prefer working from reader suggestions over generators, but to do that, I need to hear from you.